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Black-capped Chickadee
Poecile atricapillus
A tiny, tame bird with a black cap and bib and a clear "chick-a-dee-dee" call.
How to spot it
A tiny, round bird about 12–15 cm with a neat black cap and bib, bright white cheeks, a grey back and buff flanks. Curious and acrobatic, it hangs upside down to feed.
Where it lives
A resident of the northern United States and Canada in mixed and deciduous woodland, thickets and gardens, and one of the boldest birds at a winter feeder.
What it eats
Insects, seeds and berries. It hides food in thousands of scattered spots and has a remarkable memory for where they are.
Song & behaviour
Named for its scolding "chick-a-dee-dee-dee", with more 'dees' meaning more alarm, plus a clear two-note whistled "fee-bee". It moves in lively mixed flocks in winter.
Nesting
It excavates or adopts a small tree cavity or box and lines it with moss and soft fur.
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